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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: spring · can · mug · content · stand · row · temple · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spring — of water
  9. stand — to bear
  10. content — happy
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — the amount
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — to paddle
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — the season
  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