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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: spell · dip · temple · squash · wake · roll · face · prune

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. face — part of the head
  5. roll — a list
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — a cake
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. face — to confront
  13. squash — the sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spell — a short time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. face — to point toward
  20. squash — to crush
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  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