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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: capital · stand · stick · bay · saw · cue · squash · face

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — for pool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. capital — money
  14. face — to point toward
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. face — to confront
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cue — a signal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stand — to bear

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