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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 120 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: wave · mate · rest · pitch · kick · pop · temple · vault

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mate — a partner
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitch — completely
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mate — to breed
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kick — in football
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rest — a break
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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