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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: key · wake · fall · charge · cue · season · face · hand

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — a price
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — in music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hand — help
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fall — the season
  12. wake — a trail
  13. face — to confront
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — of the year
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — in sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. key — for a lock
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — to drop

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