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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: drill · sharp · spring · cue · chair · face · suit · deal

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cue — a signal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. drill — army training
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cue — for pool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. suit — to fit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. sharp — clever

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