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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spring — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — to come from
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a ring
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — the season
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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