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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 120 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. face — to confront
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cell — a phone

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