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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: wave · scale · temple · kick · bat · club · rash · toast

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. toast — bread
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kick — in football
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — a series
  15. scale — in music
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bat — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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