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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — to point toward
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — the season
  9. face — part of the head
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — of water
  13. staff — employees
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spring — a coil
  17. charge — in control
  18. face — to confront
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — a price
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — to handle

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