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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: club · dip · temple · leaves · wave · stick · drill · ground

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. drill — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — crushed
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ground — the earth
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. club — a group
  20. ground — a position
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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