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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: nail · wave · suit · temple · bat · racket · cold · rule

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cold — an illness
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — in an idiom

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