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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. file — a document
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — of water
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spring — the season
  14. content — the amount
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. content — happy
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. object — an aim
  23. perch — the fish
  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