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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cue — a signal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a partner
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mate — to breed
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — clever
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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