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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: temple · sharp · field · cue · roll · craft · straw · rash

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. craft — boats
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — a cake
  10. field — for sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — hasty
  14. field — farmland
  15. rash — a series
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. cue — for pool
  21. roll — a list
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cue — a hint

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