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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · face · pound · rash · fan · key · can · cue

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rash — a series
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — in music
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cue — for pool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — a signal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — hasty

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