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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.

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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cue — a hint
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. face — to confront
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a signal
  20. face — part of the head
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kick — in football

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