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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: lie · jam · racket · tube · temple · tear · arm · cue

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cue — for pool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. tear — to rip
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tube — in a tire

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