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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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 — for pool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stem — to come from
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cue — a signal
  8. charge — a price
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. cue — a hint
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. game — a match
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. game — wild animals
  24. file — a document

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