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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: mate · wave · temple · track · land · bear · game · wind

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mate — a partner
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — ground
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — to keep track
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — to come down
  20. track — a song
  21. land — a country
  22. game — a match
  23. track — a path
  24. wind — moving air

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