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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — a signal
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fall — the season
  8. field — for sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. suit — to fit
  17. firm — a company
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wax — to grow
  20. chair — a leader
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. field — farmland

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