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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · cue · face · stem · wax · wave · mine · ball

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cue — a hint
  7. face — to confront
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. root — the cause
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. root — of a word

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