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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 120 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: face · cue · chair · shower · present · nail · wave · leaves

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cue — for pool
  3. present — a gift
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. present — the time now
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. present — there
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. shower — rain
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cue — a hint
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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