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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. object — a thing
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — a match
  8. file — a line of people
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. file — a document
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — an aim
  16. face — to confront
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. staff — employees

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