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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 · wake · date · temple · clip · vault · cue · pitch

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. cue — a hint
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pitch — completely
  9. date — the fruit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cue — for pool

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