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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: chest · racket · date · sharp · cap · roll · wave · temple

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — a lid
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. date — the fruit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. cap — of ice
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chest — of your body

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