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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
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: ball · bat · rash · sharp · temple · chip · foot · tear

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — a series
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — hasty
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a dance
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chip — to eat
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tear — to rip

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