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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · mouse · wave · deal · trunk · ruler · last · safe

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. last — to go on
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. last — final
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. deal — to handle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. mouse — the animal

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