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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · safe · temple · mine · branch · cue · suit · pop

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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 hint
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. branch — a division
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — for digging
  23. kick — with a leg
  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