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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: cue · foot · patient · face · deal · band · file · leaves

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. foot — a measure
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. file — a document
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. file — a tool
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. face — part of the head
  18. file — a line of people
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. band — a music group
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cue — a hint
  24. band — a rubber band

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