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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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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tear — to rip
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tear — from crying
  18. foot — a measure
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kid — child
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bass — low music
  24. foot — the bottom

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