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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.

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: cue · file · cold · face · tube · net · deal · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. net — in sport
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cue — for pool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — part of the head
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. file — a document
  21. cold — an illness
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — a signal

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