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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cue — for pool
  3. clip — to cut
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cue — a hint
  12. key — in music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. key — the most important part
  20. clip — a video
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cue — a signal

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