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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: wave · content · spell · field · cue · face · mate · key

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spell — magic
  3. mate — a friend
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — farmland
  14. spell — letters
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — for sport
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. field — a subject
  22. content — happy
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spell — a short time

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