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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. face — to confront
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — a break
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bat — the animal

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