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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.

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: rash · tear · cue · sharp · game · temple · fall · spell

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fall — the season
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — hasty
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rash — a series
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — magic
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a signal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tear — to rip

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