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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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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: row · rash · spring · bay · temple · lie · pop · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spring — the season
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pop — music
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — hurry
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — to recline
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — a series
  24. bay — a horse colour

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