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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: dip · race · deal · band · cue · temple · wake · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. band — a ring
  6. race — the arms race
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. race — a contest
  15. dip — to sink
  16. band — a music group
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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