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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: fall · last · cue · perch · toast · kick · drill · face

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. face — to point toward
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. last — finally
  7. toast — bread
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — part of the head
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fall — the season
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — to confront
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. last — final
  20. fall — to drop
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — a signal
  24. toast — the most admired

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