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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spring — of water
  4. last — final
  5. spring — the season
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — a coil
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. last — to go on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. foot — a measure
  15. current — happening now
  16. last — finally
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. current — electric
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — a cup

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