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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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 hint
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rash — a series
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. shower — rain
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — to handle
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — hasty

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