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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — a hint
  4. last — finally
  5. face — to confront
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — final
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. file — a document
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. last — to go on
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. face — to point toward

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