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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: pop · cue · face · file · game · firm · mine · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. face — part of the head
  7. firm — a company
  8. pop — soda
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a hint
  11. firm — steady
  12. pop — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. file — a tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. face — to confront
  18. cue — for pool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pop — to visit
  21. firm — decided
  22. mine — for digging
  23. file — a document
  24. mine — belonging to me

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