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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — to trim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — a coil
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — a hint
  15. squash — to crush
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spring — of water
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spring — the season
  24. prune — to trim

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