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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.

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: wound · dip · tube · temple · stand · sharp · chair · root

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. tube — a container
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — the underground
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. root — of a word
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. root — the cause
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — in a tire

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