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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: sharp · temple · spell · pop · hide · spring · deal · roll

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pop — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pop — soda
  6. spring — of water
  7. spell — magic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. roll — a list
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — clever
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. spring — a coil
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. spring — the season
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. spell — letters
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spell — a short time

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