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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 · bark · charge · mark · face · bat · bore · jam

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bark — to shout
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. face — to confront
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bat — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — a grade

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