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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — a series
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stand — to bear
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — hasty

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