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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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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: lean · game · rule · nail · temple · key · bore · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rule — a law
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — a match
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lean — to bend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — thin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rule — government
  24. lean — to rest against

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