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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 · file · lie · face · arm · court · race · cabinet

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. court — for sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. race — the arms race
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — part of the head
  14. court — of law
  15. file — a document
  16. race — humankind
  17. file — a line of people
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. file — a tool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. face — to confront

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