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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: temple · foot · prune · current · track · bear · spring · snap

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — a measure
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. track — a path
  10. current — happening now
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spring — the season
  20. track — to keep track
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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