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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. swing — to play on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stock — goods
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stock — shares
  11. firm — decided
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — steady
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cue — a signal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. swing — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — gave birth

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