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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: content · mark · deal · cue · wave · chest · racket · face

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. content — the amount
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. content — happy
  5. face — part of the head
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. chest — of your body
  9. face — to confront
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — to handle
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — of the sea

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