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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
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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: temple · court · season · bound · bowl · wave · drill · chest

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chest — a box
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — certain
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bound — tied together
  13. court — of a king
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. season — in sport
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. season — to add flavour

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