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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: cue · tear · coach · court · game · wave · leaves · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. game — a match
  5. court — of law
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — to rip
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. court — of a king
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — for pool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — wild animals
  24. leaves — lets stay

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