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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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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 · swing · rest · calf · temple · chip · leaves · deal

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cue — for pool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — to eat
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cue — a signal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. swing — in golf

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