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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: plane · temple · land · wave · fine · cue · bound · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. land — a country
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — a hint

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