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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: rush · bound · temple · mark · stock · spring

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rush — hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — of water
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — shares
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bound — certain
  18. spring — the season

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