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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
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 · leaves · present · temple · bear · season · kid · ball

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bear — the animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — the time now
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — there
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a great time
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — magic

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