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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. last — final
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chest — a box
  9. bat — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cue — a signal
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cue — a hint
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bat — for baseball

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