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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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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 · lean · wave · cue · field · mark · cell · fine

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cue — for pool
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rest — a break
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — for sport
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fine — all right
  24. lean — thin

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