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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 120 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: spring · wave · temple · hide · foot · press · club · tear

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spring — of water
  8. club — a group
  9. spring — the season
  10. club — for golf
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. press — to push
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. club — for dancing
  21. foot — a measure
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — a place of worship

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