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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. date — the fruit
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ball — a dance
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — on the calendar

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