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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. court — of a king
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. branch — a division
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — for sport
  18. fall — the season
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of law
  22. spell — magic
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spell — letters

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