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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: roll · sharp · season · leaves · snap · spring · temple · lean

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. spring — the season
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — of water
  10. season — in sport
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. season — of the year
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. roll — a list
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lean — thin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lean — to bend
  24. roll — a cake

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