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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. object — a thing
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. court — of law
  17. object — to protest
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hand — in cards
  20. court — for sport
  21. hand — help
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spell — letters
  24. court — of a king

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