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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: cold · cue · key · chip · temple · stand · tube · sharp

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — a container
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. key — in music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — for pool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — an illness
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cold — not warm
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — to bear

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