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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: temple · pitcher · cabinet · mouse · cell · court · spell · wave

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cell — in biology
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — letters
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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