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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. face — to confront
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — part of the head
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — rain
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — a trace
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cue — a hint

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