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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pop — music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. face — part of the head
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. scale — in music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. face — to confront
  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