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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: can · game · spring · temple · saw · stock · rush · leaves

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spring — of water
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spring — a coil
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stock — shares
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spring — the season
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a match
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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