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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: wake · game · temple · swing · cue · chest · bay · lean

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chest — of your body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. game — a match

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