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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: last · stand · temple · drill · mine · fork · spell · bat

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. last — to go on
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spell — letters
  7. drill — army training
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. last — final
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. spell — magic
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — to bear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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