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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — of water
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ball — a dance
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — a price
  11. last — to go on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spring — the season
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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