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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.

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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: temple · pound · staff · leaves · spell · hand · plane · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spell — magic
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hand — help
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hand — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pound — a weight
  21. staff — a stick
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. temple — a place of worship

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