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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: spring · trunk · firm · saw · can · pop · kick · temple

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. spring — of water
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. kick — in football
  23. firm — a company
  24. temple — side of the head

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