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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: mine · fan · kick · temple · tube · mouse · key · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — a container
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. last — finally
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. key — in music

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