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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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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: spring · suit · straw · kick · object · cell · temple · content

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spring — of water
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — an aim
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. content — happy
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. object — to protest
  13. suit — to fit
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. object — a thing
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spring — the season
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — the amount
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. straw — dry grass

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