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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
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. vault — a safe
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ball — a great time
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. spring — the season
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — of water
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. temple — a place of worship

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