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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 120 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
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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 · rest · spell · bore · game · temple · chair · foot

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. game — a match
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. game — wild animals
  7. spell — letters
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rest — a break
  14. bore — to drill
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. last — final
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — finally
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — to go on
  24. spell — magic

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