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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: temple · charge · rush · scale · chair · row · cue · wound

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — a price
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — to paddle
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — a hint
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chair — a leader
  20. row — a line
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — for pool

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