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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: season · rush · bank · firm · temple · key · spring · file

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — of the year
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — decided
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rush — hurry
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a document
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — the season
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. firm — a company
  24. key — in music

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