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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: ball · stick · key · last · racket · temple · saw · mate

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. ball — a great time
  5. key — for a lock
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — finally
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. last — final
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. last — to go on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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