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

Word bank: cue · suit · face · bark · trunk · rule · perch · deal

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. suit — in cards
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — for pool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rule — government
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bark — to shout
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. deal — an agreement

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