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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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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: wind · object · key · fall · foot · cue · stick · face

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — a measure
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — the season
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cue — a hint
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. key — for a lock
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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