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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: rush · cue · deal · spring · temple · date · bay · pop

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — the season
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — soda
  23. spring — of water
  24. temple — a place of worship

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