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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — to bend
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fall — the season
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. game — a match
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. temple — side of the head

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