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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: file · key · fork · deal · rash · perch · face · cue

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — to confront
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a signal
  14. key — in music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cue — a hint

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