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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. toast — bread
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fall — the season
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stand — to bear
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. stand — on your feet

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