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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cue — for pool
  7. season — of the year
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rush — hurry
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cue — a hint
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — in sport
  24. cue — a signal

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