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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: plane · wound · cue · temple · race · content · mouse · ball

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — a contest
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — happy
  14. race — humankind
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. race — the arms race
  24. plane — an aircraft

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