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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: sharp · mark · object · fall · plane · band · temple · squash

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. object — an aim
  7. band — a music group
  8. fall — the season
  9. plane — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a grade
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fall — to drop
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mark — a trace

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