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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.

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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — part of the head
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cue — a hint
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — a container
  20. cue — a signal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a music group
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. face — to confront

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