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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: cue · track · roll · face · kid · deal · arm · foot

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. face — to point toward
  10. foot — a measure
  11. kid — child
  12. roll — a cake
  13. face — to confront
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. track — a song
  17. cue — a signal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cue — a hint
  21. kid — to tease
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — to keep track

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