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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.

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: scale · temple · sharp · spell · season · file

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. file — a tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — letters
  11. file — a document
  12. season — in sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — a short time
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. 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