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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · mine · key · stand · cue · present · face · fan

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cue — a signal
  8. present — a gift
  9. cue — for pool
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fine — all right
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. present — there
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — for digging

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