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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · court · sharp · bowl · snap · wound · can · prune

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. snap — to click
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. court — of law
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. sharp — clever

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