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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 · foot · face · wave · court · ball · lean · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lean — thin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lean — to bend
  8. court — for sport
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. court — of a king
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cell — a phone
  20. foot — a measure
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lean — to rest against

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