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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: wind · suit · kick · wave · game · last · plane · temple

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — wild animals
  4. suit — clothes
  5. last — final
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — a match
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. suit — to fit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kick — in football
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. last — to go on
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — a place of worship

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