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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — happening now
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. club — a group
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — the season
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. club — for dancing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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