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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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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: row · vault · clip · cue · swing · tear · temple · ruler

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. swing — music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cue — a signal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tear — to rip
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tear — from crying
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. swing — in golf
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. clip — a video
  24. row — a line

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