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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 · hand · toast · plane · face · content · march · row

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cue — a signal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. row — a line
  7. hand — help
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. toast — bread
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — in cards
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — for pool
  21. content — happy
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cue — a hint
  24. plane — a tool

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