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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 120 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: season · mark · cold · lie · swing · temple · cue · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cold — not warm
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — to play on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. drill — army training
  21. mark — a trace
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — an untruth

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