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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: cabinet · toast · mug · ball · clip · cell · temple · cue

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a great time
  3. clip — for paper
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. toast — bread
  7. cell — in biology
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ball — a dance
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. clip — a video
  14. cell — a phone
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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