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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.

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: wave · capital · stem · net · cue · face · last · coach

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. last — to go on
  3. capital — money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. capital — a city
  7. face — to confront
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. net — for catching
  11. last — finally
  12. face — part of the head
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. net — in sport
  17. last — final
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stem — to come from
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cue — for pool

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