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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 · straw · squash · mark · court · object · temple · bowl

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — a short time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. court — for sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — magic
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. object — a thing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — letters
  21. object — an aim
  22. court — of a king
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. object — to protest

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