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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: row · mine · wake · sharp · content · temple · foot · leaves

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. sharp — clever
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. row — a line
  20. content — the amount
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — for digging

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