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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. face — to confront
  3. last — finally
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — final
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — low music
  8. last — to go on
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lean — thin
  18. face — part of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — in a tire

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