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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mate — a partner
  14. face — to confront
  15. mate — to breed
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cue — a signal
  23. face — to point toward
  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