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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: foot · cue · lie · face · straw · deal · mug · saw

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a face
  7. foot — a measure
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. face — to confront
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. face — to point toward
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. lie — an untruth

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