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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 · wound · season · board · calf

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cue — a hint
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. board — a committee

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