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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fall · rest · can · spell · temple · bound · ball · stick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spell — magic
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — letters
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — a break
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — a short time
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — the season

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