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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: wake · leaves · wave · wind · temple · bat · object · cap

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wind — moving air
  4. object — an aim
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — to protest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. object — a thing
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wake — a trail

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