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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
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · bowl · leaves · bear · content · temple

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spell — magic
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. content — the amount
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — a short time

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