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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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Word bank
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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: wake · face · cue · mate · tear · roll · suit · fine

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. mate — a friend
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. face — to confront
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. face — to point toward
  17. suit — to fit
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cue — a hint
  23. roll — a list
  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