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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: court · safe · bowl · rock · fan · cell · temple · lie

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rock — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of a king
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — for sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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