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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: pound · lie · spring · temple · cue · calf · firm · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. firm — decided
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — a hint
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spring — of water
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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