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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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. cue — a hint
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rule — a law
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rule — government
  18. lean — thin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — for pool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lean — to bend

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