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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — for sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. roll — a cake
  12. field — a subject
  13. bound — obliged
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. roll — a list
  17. cue — a hint
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. suit — to fit
  22. field — farmland
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mouse — the animal

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