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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. firm — decided
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spring — a coil
  11. band — a music group
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — a container
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. firm — a company
  17. band — a ring
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. firm — steady
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. plane — an aircraft

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