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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mug — a face
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mug — to rob
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — of a tree
  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