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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · snap · face · wave · file · cue

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — a signal
  3. file — a tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. file — a line of people
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. face — to point toward
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. file — a document

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