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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. march — the month
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cue — for pool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. deal — to handle
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. chip — for betting

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