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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cue — a hint
  3. firm — decided
  4. face — to point toward
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. file — a line of people
  10. game — a match
  11. file — a tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. firm — steady
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — wild animals
  17. cue — for pool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — for money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to confront
  24. temple — side of the head

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