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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 120 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: face · cue · stand · snap · lie · ball · game · mouse

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a dance
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ball — a great time
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — wild animals
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — a signal
  22. snap — to click
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — the animal

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