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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. key — in music
  5. content — happy
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. content — the amount
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tube — a container
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. scale — in music
  22. craft — boats
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rush — hurry

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