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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: cell · tube · rush · stick · wave · temple · wake · cabinet

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cell — in biology
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — hurry
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — a phone
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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