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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: safe · bowl · spell · clip · staff · temple · rest · wax

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. staff — employees
  3. clip — for paper
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spell — letters
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — magic
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — a break
  24. clip — a video

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