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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: hand · temple · sharp · foot · pass · wave · prune · drill

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. drill — a practice
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — clever
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. drill — army training

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