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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 116 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: fine · cue · face · mine · tear · charge · calf · snap

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — in control
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fine — high quality
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — all right
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. face — to confront
  23. mine — for digging
  24. calf — of the leg

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