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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · game · wave · tube · temple · bank · last · bat

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — a gift
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — a container
  15. last — to go on
  16. bat — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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