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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 124 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bore — to drill
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. land — to come down
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — for pool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — a country
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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