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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a tool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — to confront
  9. cue — a signal
  10. file — a document
  11. rest — a break
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — to point toward
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cue — for pool

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