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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · game · rush · racket · rest · safe · temple · roll

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a match
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. last — final
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — to go on
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rest — a break
  18. last — finally
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — hurry

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