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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: object · staff · dip · sharp · wound · fan · season · temple

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. season — of the year
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — to protest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — a thing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — an injury

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