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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: wake · sharp · key · court · fan · date · temple · spell

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. court — of law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spell — magic
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. court — for sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of a king
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — for a lock
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — letters

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