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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · spring · sharp · mouse · mug · temple · foot · pound

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. foot — a measure
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. spring — a coil
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mug — a face
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mug — to rob
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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