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

Word bank: cue · hide · face · suit · kick · bay · date · rest

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — a signal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. face — to confront
  12. cue — for pool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. face — to point toward
  20. kick — in football
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — a break

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