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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
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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: season · content · spring · hide · fine · plane · sharp · temple

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. content — happy
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. season — in sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spring — a coil
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fine — all right
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spring — the season
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spring — of water
  24. hide — to keep secret

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