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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
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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: temple · cue · deal · mark · clip · wave · current · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. clip — for paper
  3. current — happening now
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — of water
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. current — electric
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cue — a signal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cue — a hint
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — for pool
  24. hand — in cards

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