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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · kick · snap · face · mate · cue

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. 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. mate — a partner
  2. snap — to click
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mug — to rob
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mug — a cup
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mug — a face
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kick — in football
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. face — to confront
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. 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