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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. land — to come down
  5. cell — a phone
  6. land — ground
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — in football
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — happening now
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. suit — in cards
  16. land — a country
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cell — in biology
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cue — for pool
  23. current — electric
  24. suit — clothes

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