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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · bowl · spell · fall · cue · degree · row · current

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. current — of water
  4. face — to point toward
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. degree — temperature
  11. row — a line
  12. current — happening now
  13. degree — an amount
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. face — to confront
  22. current — electric
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bowl — to roll

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