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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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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — the season
  7. foot — a measure
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — a company
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — steady
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. firm — decided
  24. trunk — of a car

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