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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: cell · wound · tube · bark · temple · wave · bass · cue

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — a signal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — low music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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