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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: temple · trunk · pop · rash · club · swing · spring · rock

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spring — of water
  5. pop — to visit
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rock — a stone
  9. club — for dancing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. club — for golf
  18. spring — the season
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. club — a group
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — side of the head

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