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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 120 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: temple · wound · bowl · wave · perch · hide · court · pop

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pop — soda
  3. court — for sport
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of law
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pop — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. court — of a king
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pop — to visit

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