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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — a signal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — a permit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. face — part of the head
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chest — of your body
  16. face — to confront
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. foot — a measure

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