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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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Word bank
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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: track · bound · last · shower · file · tube · face · cue

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cue — a signal
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — a container
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a song
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. last — final
  14. bound — obliged
  15. face — part of the head
  16. track — a path
  17. last — finally
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tube — the underground
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — certain
  23. cue — for pool
  24. shower — rain

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