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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: sharp · date · tube · pound · toast · dip · land · temple

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — to come down
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — clever
  7. toast — bread
  8. tube — a container
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. land — ground
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. land — a country
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. date — the fruit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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