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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: march · firm · temple · bulb · straw · lie · cue · last

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. march — the month
  3. firm — steady
  4. last — finally
  5. firm — a company
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. firm — decided
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — final
  14. march — music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — to go on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bulb — for light

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