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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 120 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: deal · ball · fall · present · rush · temple · spring · mark

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spring — the season
  8. rush — hurry
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fall — to drop
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. fall — the season
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — the time now
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — side of the head
  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