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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: rest · lash · cue · face · can · rule · land · foot

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rule — a law
  11. rest — what's left
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. land — a country
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. face — to confront
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. face — part of the head
  23. foot — a measure
  24. can — a tin

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