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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: temple · date · land · staff · leaves · charge · sharp · wake

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. land — a country
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — ground
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — clever
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wake — a trail

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