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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 120 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: swing · temple · cue · stem · wave · rule · kid · pound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. swing — music
  5. rule — a law
  6. cue — for pool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — government
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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