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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. drill — army training
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. press — to push
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — the tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fork — in a road
  23. plane — a tool
  24. press — a publisher

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