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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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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: snap · race · cue · band · squash · temple · saw · game

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. band — a music group
  2. cue — for pool
  3. race — the arms race
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. band — a ring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cue — a hint
  10. squash — to crush
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — a contest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. game — a match
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. race — humankind
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cue — a signal
  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