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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cue — for pool
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fork — in a road
  22. face — to confront
  23. firm — decided
  24. fork — a garden 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