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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 · foot · row · face · deal · racket · file · cold

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — a line
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cold — an illness
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — to point toward
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. face — to confront
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. file — a document
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cold — not warm
  20. face — part of the head
  21. file — a line of people
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. file — a tool
  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