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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: fan · leaves · ball · court · rock · temple · dip · lash

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. court — of law
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ball — a dance
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. court — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rock — a stone
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. leaves — of a tree

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