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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 · stand · ruler · coach · face · sharp · saw · cell

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cue — a hint
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. face — to confront
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a signal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cue — for pool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in biology

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