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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. row — a line
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. last — final
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — a hint
  9. charge — in control
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spell — a short time
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. face — to confront
  19. charge — a price
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. cue — a signal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cue — for pool

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