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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to click
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — a permit
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rest — a break
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rest — what's left

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