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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a tool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mate — a friend
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — a match
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cue — a hint
  15. drill — army training
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — for pool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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