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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. last — to go on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lie — to recline
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. last — final
  24. spell — a short time

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