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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · sharp · cue · temple · lie · wave · can · bass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a hint
  13. can — to be able to
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cue — a signal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bass — low music
  24. can — a tin

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