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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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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: nail · file · cue · can · fall · bear · face · spring

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cue — a signal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. face — part of the head
  11. can — to be able to
  12. file — a tool
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spring — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fall — the season
  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