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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
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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: stand · patient · track · temple · toast · shower · spell · sharp

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. track — a path
  4. spell — magic
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. spell — a short time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. shower — rain
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — clever
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. track — a song
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — letters
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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