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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.

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: temple · board · craft · cabinet · mine · court · spell · wax

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — to get on
  5. court — of law
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a skill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. court — for sport
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. court — of a king
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. craft — boats
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wax — to grow

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