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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — a signal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rash — a series
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — a hat
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wound — an injury

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