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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: temple · snap · foot · spring · rock · stick · rash · mug

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. mug — a face
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spring — of water
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. spring — the season
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rock — a stone
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rock — to move gently

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