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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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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: wound · cue · temple · rest · straw · game · chip · bark

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a match
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. chip — to eat
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — for betting
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wound — an injury
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cue — a hint
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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