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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 116 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: cue · club · straw · mine · march · firm · face · stand

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. face — to point toward
  3. march — the month
  4. cue — a signal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — steady
  7. mine — for digging
  8. march — the month
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. firm — a company
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. face — part of the head
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. march — music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. firm — decided
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. face — to confront
  24. stand — for spectators

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