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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: mug · nail · mate · mark · spring · lean · hand · temple

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mug — a cup
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hand — help
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lean — thin
  15. spring — of water
  16. mug — a face
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — to rest against

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