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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: content · temple · last · rush · court · calf · cabinet · ruler

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. content — the amount
  7. court — of a king
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — for sport
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. last — final
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rush — hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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