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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: straw · mine · temple · roll · staff · suit · spring · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — to fit
  6. roll — a list
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. mine — for digging
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. roll — a cake
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. suit — clothes
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. staff — employees

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