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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: sharp · temple · court · plane · spring · mark · cap · bear

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — the season
  4. court — for sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. spring — of water
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — of law

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