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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: face · safe · foot · pound · fine · last · tear · cue

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. tear — to rip
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cue — a signal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — finally
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. face — part of the head
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to confront
  17. last — to go on
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tear — from crying
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fine — all right

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