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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: bear · temple · fan · content · sharp · lean · mine · toast

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — to bend
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. toast — bread
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — thin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mine — for digging

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