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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rash — a series
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pop — soda
  13. bass — low music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pop — to visit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — for pool

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