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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — for sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. board — to get on
  16. court — of law
  17. board — a committee
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rush — to hurry

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