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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
468
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: game · temple · suit · present · spring · toast · snap · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spring — a coil
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fine — all right
  6. snap — to click
  7. present — a gift
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. toast — bread
  13. spring — of water
  14. game — a match
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — high quality
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — there
  21. spring — the season
  22. suit — clothes
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. game — a kind of play

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