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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 · temple · content · coach · stand · mug · tear · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. firm — decided
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. content — happy
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — a face
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tear — from crying
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tear — to rip
  16. firm — steady
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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