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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 · spring · staff · wax · pitcher · chip · pound · bound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spring — the season
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. staff — employees
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bound — certain
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bound — obliged
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — a jug

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