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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: foot · spell · rock · last · spring · rush · temple · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rush — hurry
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spell — letters
  10. rock — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. foot — a measure
  14. last — finally
  15. spring — the season
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spring — a coil
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rock — a stone
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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