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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: staff · rash · game · temple · leaves · date · object · saw

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rash — a series
  17. staff — a stick
  18. game — wild animals
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — a match
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — to protest

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