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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: deal · spell · spring · wound · date · game · temple · safe

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spring — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spring — a coil
  16. deal — to handle
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spring — of water
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. game — a match
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — an agreement

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