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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — soda
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. face — to confront
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a great time
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. cue — for pool
  12. land — ground
  13. kick — in football
  14. pop — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cue — a hint
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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