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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — a face
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cue — for pool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. key — in music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. game — a match
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mug — a cup
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. face — to confront
  24. cell — a phone

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