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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
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: bear · court · temple · perch · spell · dip · stand · mine

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stand — to bear
  11. court — for sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — to sink
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — to put up with

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