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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: rest · chip · spell · wake · cabinet · pop · temple · land

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spell — letters
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. spell — magic
  18. land — ground
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spell — a short time
  24. land — to come down

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