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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.

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

Word bank: ball · fan · wake · game · temple · lie

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a dance
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lie — to recline
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a great time
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ball — a round shape

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