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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. current — electric
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — a video
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. current — of water
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. current — happening now
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bear — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. clip — for paper
  20. staff — employees
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. staff — a stick
  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