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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: fall · cue · mark · kid · suit · lie · temple · racket

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kid — child
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mark — a trace
  8. suit — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — a signal

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