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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a dance
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — magic
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. land — a country
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — to come down
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — ground
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cell — in a prison

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