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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 · jam · snap · object · field · present · toast

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — a thing
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. present — the time now
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. spring — of water
  12. field — for sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — there
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. spring — a coil
  18. toast — bread
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. spring — the season
  23. object — to protest
  24. temple — a place of worship

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