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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: cue · band · lean · face · bay · lie · pop · squash

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. band — a music group
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. band — a ring
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lean — to bend
  24. face — to confront

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