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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: hide · lie · spring · bark · wake · cue · toast · staff

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cue — for pool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. spring — of water
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spring — the season
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — bread
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. hide — to keep secret

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