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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pound · kick · roll · suit · charge · hand

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — a price
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hand — help
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. suit — to fit
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. kick — in football
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pound — a weight
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. charge — in control
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — a coil

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