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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — a partner
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. present — the time now
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — low music
  24. mate — a friend

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