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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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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: sharp · wave · rock · cell · fork · rest · temple · lean

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rest — a break
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — to bend

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