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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · scale · sharp · spring · rock · kick · straw · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. sharp — clever
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rock — music
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. kick — in football
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — a coil

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