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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: kick · perch · date · object · face · charge · fall · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — a hint
  6. face — to point toward
  7. perch — the fish
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. object — to protest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — a price
  13. fall — the season
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. charge — electricity
  16. face — to confront
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — in control
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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