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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — a signal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. band — a music group
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — to confront
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pop — music

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