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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 120 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: fan · bound · rock · cue · mine · stem · board · face

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — obliged
  9. face — to confront
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. board — a committee
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — to cool the air

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