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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.

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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: bowl · spell · game · fine · swing · hide · temple · sharp

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fine — high quality
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. spell — letters
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. swing — music
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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