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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: lean · bat · cue · pound · rock · lie · temple · tear

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cue — for pool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lean — thin
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cue — a signal

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