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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 · stem · fork · squash · bank · temple · rush · date

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — in a road
  7. sharp — clever
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — to crush
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stem — to come from
  22. squash — the sport
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rush — to hurry

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