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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stock — shares
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stock — goods
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. track — a path
  21. wind — moving air
  22. track — a song
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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