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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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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 · bore · court · chip · fall · face · kick · plane

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — for pool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — of a king
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — the season
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bore — to tire

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