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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: wound · spring · pitcher · stick · temple · pop · nail · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spring — of water
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pop — soda
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spring — the season
  12. pop — music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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