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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: hide · perch · cue · bark · mine · kick

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kick — in football
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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