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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — electric
  6. face — to point toward
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — of ice
  9. face — to confront
  10. cue — for pool
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. current — happening now
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mark — a trace

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