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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 120 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.

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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: land · temple · safe · season · sharp · firm · spell · board

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spell — magic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. firm — decided
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. land — to come down
  14. season — of the year
  15. land — a country
  16. season — in sport
  17. land — ground
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — a short time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — letters
  24. board — to get on

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