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

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spell — magic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spell — letters
  11. present — a gift
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. present — the time now
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spell — a short time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. present — there
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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