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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: leaves · can · game · saw · temple · drill · bark · wave

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bark — to shout
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — to be able to
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. game — wild animals

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