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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: sharp · wave · temple · rule · present · cabinet · kid · hand

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kid — child
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rule — a law
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. present — the time now
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. hand — in cards
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rule — government
  24. present — a gift

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