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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 120 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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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: plane · spring · drill · rest · snap · club · ruler · temple

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. club — a group
  4. snap — to click
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — a break
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — for golf
  12. drill — the tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. drill — army training
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. club — for dancing
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. spring — of water
  23. plane — a tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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