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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
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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: date · cue · field · temple · straw · rush · dip · craft

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cue — for pool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. field — a subject
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. field — farmland
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — a hint
  20. dip — to sink
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. field — for sport

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