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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: temple · current · snap · spring · racket · prune · present · club

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — for dancing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. current — happening now
  10. present — there
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. present — a gift
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. club — for golf
  18. current — electric
  19. club — a group
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — a coil

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