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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: spring · temple · rush · wind · fork · cabinet · tear · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rush — hurry
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spring — the season
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rush — to hurry

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