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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
468
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: key · cue · fine · chair · face · leaves · bark · prune

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to confront
  13. fine — all right
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bark — to shout
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chair — a professorship

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