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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: snap · temple · ball · march · chair · season · roll · rush

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. march — the month
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chair — a leader
  22. season — in sport
  23. roll — a list
  24. season — of the year

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