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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — in music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cue — a signal
  8. face — to confront
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wax — to grow
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — a video
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cue — a hint
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — part of the head

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