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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — the amount
  3. bank — for money
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. current — electric
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — of a river
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — happening now
  18. content — happy
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. march — the month
  23. current — of water
  24. temple — a place of worship

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