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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. present — the time now
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. face — to confront
  7. bass — low music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bass — the fish
  14. perch — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. present — there
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — a gift

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