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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cue — for pool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cap — a lid
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — a hat
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — hurry

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