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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
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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: temple · lean · last · bore · spell · game · deal · fork

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. last — to go on
  16. game — a match
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lean — thin
  23. spell — letters
  24. game — a kind of play

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