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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fall — to drop
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. field — for sport
  9. track — a song
  10. rock — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. face — to point toward
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — for pool
  16. track — a path
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. field — a subject
  21. rock — a stone
  22. field — farmland
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — a hint

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