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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 120 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: wind · content · row · pass · stand · temple · trunk · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — to bear
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. content — the amount
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. content — happy
  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