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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 120 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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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: temple · root · cue · row · mug · fall · spell · fork

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — a cup
  4. root — the cause
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fall — the season
  10. root — of a word
  11. mug — a face
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spell — a short time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spell — magic
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fall — to drop
  24. row — a line

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