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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — wild animals
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — a match
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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