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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: cue · temple · suit · hide · date · pop · band · kick

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. pop — music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — in football
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a ring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cue — a hint
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. band — a music group
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — soda
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — the fruit
  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