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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mate — a friend
  3. face — part of the head
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cue — a signal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — to rob
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a face
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — in football
  21. cue — for pool
  22. snap — to click
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fan — to cool the air

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