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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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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: cue · temple · net · rock · rush · spring · file · drill

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rock — music
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. drill — army training
  10. spring — of water
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — the season
  15. rock — a stone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — a hint
  18. drill — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. drill — a practice

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