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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: staff · wound · rule · stand · sharp · temple · foot · fork

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. staff — employees
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. sharp — clever
  20. staff — employees
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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