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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. face — to confront
  5. squash — to crush
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — part of the head
  10. staff — employees
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — employees
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — for pool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. face — to point toward
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. staff — a stick
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. track — a path

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