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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
468
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: pound · bowl · leaves · staff · temple · fan · current · spell

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. staff — employees
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — employees
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spell — a short time
  20. current — happening now
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. temple — a place of worship

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