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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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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: cap · wound · ball · last · stick · ground · saw · temple

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. last — to go on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. last — finally
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. last — final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ball — a dance
  24. temple — a place of worship

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