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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: last · pop · temple · cue · stem · charge · bay · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — to go on
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. last — final
  11. charge — in control
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pop — soda
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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