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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cue — for pool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — a song
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cue — a signal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mate — a friend
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. clip — a video
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com