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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. face — to confront
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cue — a hint
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. file — a document
  21. face — to point toward
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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