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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: scale · tear · temple · kick · cabinet · wave · leaves · ball

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. scale — in music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ball — a great time
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — in football
  23. tear — to rip
  24. scale — for weighing

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