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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: stick · date · scale · temple · cap · wave · season · rest

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. cap — a lid
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. date — the fruit
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — of ice

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