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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 · fall · bass · cabinet · temple · prune · fan · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. fork — in a road
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — low music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cabinet — ministers

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