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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — a hint
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fork — in a road
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lie — to recline
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — for pool

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