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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — a hint
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cue — a signal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kick — in football
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — to confront
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to point toward

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