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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: fork · bulb · cue · hide · mine · lash · pass · temple

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bulb — for light
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to spend time

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