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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: wound · toast · rest · bowl · staff · temple · field · spell

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. staff — a stick
  6. field — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — a break
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. field — farmland
  12. spell — magic
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. field — a subject
  20. spell — a short time
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spell — letters

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