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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: net · wave · tear · stick · last · rule · cabinet · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — finally
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — in sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. last — final
  16. tear — from crying
  17. net — for catching
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rule — a law
  20. net — after costs
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — to go on
  23. rule — government
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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