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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: squash · wake · cell · bear · leaves · sharp · land · temple

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cell — a phone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. squash — the sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. land — a country
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. land — ground
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — to come down
  24. leaves — of a tree

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