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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.

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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: rule · season · cold · kick · temple · rush · firm · wave

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — of the year
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rule — government
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. firm — steady
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. season — in sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. kick — with a leg

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