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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 · chip · spring · safe · tear · ground · object · straw

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spring — the season
  4. tear — from crying
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — to protest
  11. tear — to rip
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — to eat
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — a thing
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ground — a position
  24. object — an aim

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