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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: rest · net · ball · cell · plane · fall · cue · leaves

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — in sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rest — a break
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rest — what's left
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cue — a signal

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