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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 · lash · trunk · shower · court · face · stand · chip

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cue — for pool
  8. court — for sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stand — to bear
  11. court — of a king
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chip — for betting
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cue — a hint
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. court — of law
  19. face — to confront
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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