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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: sharp · cabinet · firm · bound · mine · temple · wake · spring

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. firm — steady
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. firm — decided
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mine — for digging
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — obliged
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — a company
  24. bound — certain

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