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

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. last — finally
  6. game — a match
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bass — low music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — all right
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. last — to go on
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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