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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — in golf
  3. face — to point toward
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — part of the head
  9. toast — bread
  10. swing — music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. face — to confront
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. swing — to play on
  24. hand — help

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