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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 120 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: temple · game · spell · last · snap · key · arm · pop

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. spell — a short time
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. snap — to click
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — the most important part
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — letters
  17. last — finally
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pop — to visit
  20. key — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — soda
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — a place of worship

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