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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.

Words on the sheet
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: temple · cabinet · racket · lie · game · saw · last · toast

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. game — a match
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. last — finally
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — to go on
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — bread
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — wild animals
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lie — to recline
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a kind of play

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