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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spell — letters
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wound — an injury
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cell — a phone
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — to push
  22. cell — in biology
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bowl — a dish

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