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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · arm · last · temple · stock · rest · season · hide

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cue — a signal
  6. last — to go on
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — goods
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stock — shares
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — in sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. last — final
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. season — of the year
  24. temple — a place of worship

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