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

Word bank: bay · cold · temple · ruler · cue · firm · pitcher · root

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cold — not warm
  7. root — the cause
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cue — a signal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cold — an illness
  24. temple — a place of worship

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