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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.

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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: spell · chest · roll · bass · face · temple · fine · ball

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — low music
  3. face — part of the head
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spell — letters
  7. face — to confront
  8. fine — high quality
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — magic
  14. roll — a list
  15. fine — all right
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chest — a box
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ball — a great time
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bass — the instrument

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