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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cue — for pool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — part of the head
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — to fit
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — a hint
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. face — to confront
  21. fall — the season
  22. bound — tied together
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bound — obliged

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