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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: kick · safe · march · cell · stand · spring · pop · temple

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — soda
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — in football
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. march — the month
  9. pop — music
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pop — to visit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. spring — of water
  20. stand — to bear
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in biology
  24. spring — a coil

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