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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hand — help
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. hand — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. plane — a tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. court — of a king
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. court — for sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — to grow

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