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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: game · spell · squash · tube · ball · temple · bear · wave

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ball — a dance
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spell — a short time
  12. game — a match
  13. spell — magic
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tube — a container
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — letters

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