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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cue — a signal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spell — a short time
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — to crush
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. band — a ring
  13. spell — magic
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. club — for golf
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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