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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — for pool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cue — a signal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — to confront
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — a list
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — on a roll

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