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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: deal · cue · roll · lie · field · suit · temple · root

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cue — a hint
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cue — a signal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cue — for pool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. field — farmland
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a word
  18. lie — to recline
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — a list
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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