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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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468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to click
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to confront
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — in music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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