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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — a price
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — to point toward
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — a signal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. face — to confront
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a hint
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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