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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 · rush · mug · bay · spring · net · stock · nail

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spring — of water
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a face
  5. net — after costs
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spring — the season
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stock — goods
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — shares
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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