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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bank — of a river
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. file — a line of people
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. file — a tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cue — a signal
  24. face — part 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