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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 · jam · lean

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. 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 — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — thin
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. content — happy
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — to bend
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — the amount
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. 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