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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: face · game · fall · cue · root · cabinet · board · net

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. net — after costs
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. root — of a plant
  7. net — in sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. net — for catching
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a committee
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fall — to drop
  15. game — a match
  16. cue — for pool
  17. root — of a word
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — to get on
  20. fall — the season
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — the cause
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. game — wild animals

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