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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: object · wave · cue · temple · pass · rush · bulb · hand

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. object — to protest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — help
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — a signal
  20. object — an aim
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hand — in cards
  24. temple — a place of worship

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