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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: dip · last · rush · temple · wind · charge · court · calf

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. last — finally
  5. charge — electricity
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. last — final
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. charge — in control
  12. court — of a king
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — a price
  17. court — of law
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. last — to go on
  21. court — for sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  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