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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: mark · sharp · deal · cue · temple · fork · kick · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hand — help
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kick — in football
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mark — a trace
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. sharp — clever
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cue — for pool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — a signal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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