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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: hand · row · temple · rest · game · deal · ball · rule

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rule — a law
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a dance
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — help
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rest — what's left
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — government
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. rule — to rule out

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