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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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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: bear · spring · rush · kick · stem · rest · pound · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spring — the season
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — of water
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stem — to come from
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bear — to put up with

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