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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — government
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a dance
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rule — a law
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cue — a hint

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