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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: firm · spell · rash · spring · temple · press · bowl · last

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. firm — a company
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. last — finally
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — to go on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — a series
  13. spring — of water
  14. spell — letters
  15. spring — a coil
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. last — final
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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