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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: mouse · bay · pitcher · bore · temple · wave · cue · fall

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fall — the season
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitcher — a jug

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