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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.

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: bark · rush · lie · mug · cue · stick · cold · rock

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mug — a face
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stick — to attach or keep 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