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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 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. club — for golf
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — the season
  10. track — to keep track
  11. club — a group
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. staff — employees
  20. wind — moving air
  21. spring — of water
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a path
  24. pass — to succeed

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