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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 120 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: rock · face · deal · cold · racket · mate · leaves · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to point toward
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cold — an illness
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — for pool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rock — music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — to confront
  24. racket — a loud noise

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