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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: temple · last · rash · board · kick · arm · bowl · wave

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. last — to go on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — a committee
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. board — to get on
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rash — a series

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