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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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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 · temple · club · ball · face · rest · stand · last

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. club — for dancing
  3. last — final
  4. club — for golf
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. last — to go on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — finally
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — a group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — a break
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ball — a dance
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a great time

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