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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: ground · temple · spell · snap · roll · arm · rock · bay

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spell — magic
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rock — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — a position
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. snap — to click
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. roll — a list
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — part of the body

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