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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ruler · safe · spell · stock · chest · bound

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chest — a box
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — a short time
  24. safe — out of danger

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