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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: racket · tube · cell · perch · firm · tear · cue · temple

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. tube — the underground
  4. firm — a company
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a signal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a hint
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — steady
  21. perch — the fish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cell — a phone

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