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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 124 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. court — of a king
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — in golf
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. court — of law
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. court — for sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. dip — to sink

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