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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cell — a phone
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to confront
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — a signal
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. present — there
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — the time now

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