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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: chip · bulb · spell · face · court · sharp · patient · temple

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chip — to eat
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — for betting
  7. court — of law
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. court — for sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — letters
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. court — of a king

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