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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: net · foot · prune · temple · tear · drill · ball · spring

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tear — to rip
  5. spring — of water
  6. net — for catching
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — after costs
  10. drill — army training
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spring — the season
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. net — in sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. drill — a practice
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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