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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 · roll · bass · wind · rest · row · temple · suit

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cue — a signal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cue — a hint
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. row — a line
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cue — for pool
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bass — low music
  18. roll — a list
  19. suit — to fit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rest — a break

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