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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: pound · roll · foot · temple · suit · cue · mine · hide

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. roll — a cake
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cue — for pool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. roll — a list
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pound — a weight
  24. suit — in cards

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