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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cue — a signal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chest — a box
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rock — a stone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a great time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — a series
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. face — to confront
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a dance
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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