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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rush — hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. vault — a safe
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — to play on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cue — a hint
  16. swing — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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