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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: hand · suit · bay · cue · cell · temple · mate · bound

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mate — to breed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — in cards
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. temple — side of the head

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