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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: cue · pass · face · charge · dip · sharp · stand · squash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — to confront
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — part of the head
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — in control
  16. cue — a signal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — clever
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — a price
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cue — for pool

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