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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cue — a signal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cue — for pool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bass — low music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stand — on your feet

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