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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 · fall · chair · chest · ball · nail · stem · face

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — the season
  5. cue — for pool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ball — a dance
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chest — a box
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stem — of a plant

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