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

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. face — to confront
  7. chest — a box
  8. squash — to crush
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cue — a hint

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