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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: temple · wave · hand · season · cold · wake · object · track

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cold — an illness
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. season — in sport
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cold — not warm
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hand — help
  18. object — to protest
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a path
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. season — of the year

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