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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — a break
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rush — a thrill

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