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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: stem · cue · mug · spring · kick · board · sharp · face

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. kick — in football
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — a face
  5. board — a committee
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. board — to get on
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spring — a coil
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — to come from
  18. face — to confront
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mug — to rob
  21. face — part of the head
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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