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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: deal · dip · ball · root · rash · temple · last · kick

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ball — a dance
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rash — a series
  11. root — the cause
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. last — to go on
  14. root — of a word
  15. dip — to sink
  16. kick — in football
  17. deal — to handle
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. root — of a plant

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