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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: lean · temple · fine · wave · foot · mate · pit · clip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pit — a hole
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — all right
  16. clip — a video
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lean — thin
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — a friend

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