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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. last — to go on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — to confront
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — clothes
  7. last — final
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — clever
  11. snap — to click
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. face — to point toward
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. last — finally
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wound — an injury
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chip — for betting

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