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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — to point toward
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. face — part of the head
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — to crush
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cue — a signal
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fine — high quality
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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