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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: temple · shower · fork · ball · lean · spell · saw · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. shower — rain
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ball — a dance

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