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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: squash · swing · file · cue · dip · face · root · mate

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mate — to breed
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — a signal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. swing — to play on
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — to point toward
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cue — a hint
  19. swing — music
  20. dip — to sink
  21. face — to confront
  22. file — a line of people
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. root — of a plant

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