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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: kick · wind · pop · cue · date · fan · foot · temple

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pop — soda
  3. wind — moving air
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — a signal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pop — to visit
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pop — music

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