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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. object — to protest
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — magic
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — a thing
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — a tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. object — an aim
  18. chest — of your body

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