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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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468
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: racket · pitcher · temple · rock · rest · last · bat · hide

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — final
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. last — finally
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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