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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. land — ground
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. kick — in football
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. land — a country
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — to come down
  15. cue — for pool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — to be able to
  20. face — to confront
  21. cue — a signal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. saw — the tool

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