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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: cue · rash · ruler · sharp · band · bark · temple · fan

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. band — a ring
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bark — to shout
  6. band — a music group
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cue — a hint
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rash — a series

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