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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 120 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
468
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: arm · face · temple · rule · cue · branch · game · staff

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. face — to confront
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cue — for pool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. temple — side of the head

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