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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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Word bank
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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: object · club · stick · cell · temple · wave

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. club — for golf
  7. object — to protest
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — a thing
  11. cell — a phone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. object — an aim
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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