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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: rush · saw · pop · temple · last · cabinet · date · spring

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pop — soda
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — of water
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — final
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — music
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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