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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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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: key · calf · sharp · last · firm · temple · pass · kid

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. sharp — clever
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pass — a permit
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. firm — a company
  16. kid — child
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. last — finally
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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