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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
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 · chair · march · fine · bark · pound · wax · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. march — music
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fine — all right
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fine — high quality
  24. march — the month

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