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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: temple · rash · racket · wave · mine · wound · kick · mark

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mark — a trace
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — a series
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kick — in football
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mine — belonging to me

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