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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: temple · ball · kid · toast · object · lie · cue · file

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. file — a tool
  3. kid — to tease
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. kid — child
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. toast — bread
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — to protest
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ball — a dance
  18. object — an aim
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ball — a great time
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cue — for pool

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