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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: rush · spell · jam · ground · fall · mouse · temple · foot

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fall — the season
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ground — a position
  16. fall — to drop
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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