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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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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: band · hide · temple · court · bank · rash · cue · rest

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — a break
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. court — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. court — of a king
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rash — a series

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