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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: mark · hand · temple · stick · spring · rash · track · game

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a song
  7. game — a match
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — a coil
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — a path
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — a series
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spring — the season
  24. track — to keep track

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