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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.

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: mouse · face · bass · mate · pop · snap · rock · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. snap — to click
  3. pop — to visit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — music
  6. pop — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mate — to breed
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — low music
  18. face — to confront
  19. pop — soda
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mate — a partner

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