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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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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: drill · wave · pound · cue · tear · kick · cabinet · temple

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. drill — a practice
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kick — a thrill

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