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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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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: pound · temple · wave · branch · racket · bear · cue · plane

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. branch — a division
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — for pool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — a signal

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