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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · temple · sharp · ball · fall · rash

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rash — a series
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — a hint
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fall — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a great time

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