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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — for pool
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — low music
  8. tube — a container
  9. cue — a signal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — thin
  21. face — to point toward
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. file — a line of people

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