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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 · sharp · mark · bound · cue · fan · land · stick

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bound — certain
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. land — to come down
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. land — a country

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