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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. firm — steady
  4. mug — a cup
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kick — in football
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. mug — a face
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cue — for pool
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — to sink
  20. firm — a company
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cue — a signal

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