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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 · chip · mine · bark · temple · wave · tube · roll

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mine — for digging
  12. roll — a list
  13. tube — a container
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — thin
  24. chip — for betting

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