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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. field — for sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. field — a subject
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — for light
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — farmland
  24. wind — moving air

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