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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — of water
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — to point toward
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — of water
  13. kick — in football
  14. hand — help
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cue — a signal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — electric
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — a coil
  23. face — to confront
  24. kick — a thrill

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