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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — a signal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — for digging
  10. race — the arms race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. craft — a skill
  15. race — humankind
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. race — a contest
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — for pool
  24. row — a line

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