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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 120 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: face · ruler · tube · ball · rock · fork · shower · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tube — a container
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cue — a hint

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