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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · rest · mine · row · cue · tube · face · can

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cue — a signal
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. face — to confront
  6. row — a line
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — for digging
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — for pool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rest — a break
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — a hint
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. can — a tin

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