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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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cap — of ice
  11. spring — of water
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a match
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mark — a trace
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spring — the season
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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