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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: cue · ball · chair · craft · rule · face · lie · foot

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rule — a law
  6. face — to confront
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rule — government
  10. ball — a great time
  11. craft — boats
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cue — a hint
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lie — to recline
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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