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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: staff · spring · can · pit · temple · patient · club · snap

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to click
  4. spring — a coil
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for golf
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pit — in a race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — of water
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a hole
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. spring — the season
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. club — a group
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — to be able to

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