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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — to confront
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. face — to point toward
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pit — a hole
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cue — a signal
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. kick — in football
  18. cue — for pool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cue — a hint
  24. kick — with a leg

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