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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 · cell · chip · leaves · face · ruler · stand · sharp

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. face — to confront
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cue — a hint
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cue — for pool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. leaves — of a tree

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