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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · cold · scale · rock · can · press · bark · cue

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — to push
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bark — to shout
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — to be able to

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