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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rush — hurry
  7. firm — decided
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chest — a box
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — a company
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — steady

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