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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: toast · kick · mouse · face · wound · perch · stem · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — to confront
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stem — to come from
  24. face — part of the head

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