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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hand — in cards
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hand — help
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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