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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rock — a stone
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — what's left
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — of the year
  24. face — part of the head

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