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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. object — a thing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. suit — to fit
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — an aim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — for a lock
  14. suit — in cards
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. object — to protest
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. suit — clothes

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