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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. face — part of the head
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spring — of water
  5. wake — a trail
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cue — a hint
  24. nail — for a hammer

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