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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: fan · foot · sharp · temple · staff · rest · bear · mouse

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rest — a break
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bear — the animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — what's left

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