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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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Word bank
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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: staff · scale · mouse · bore · row · mark · trunk · temple

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bore — to tire
  10. row — a line
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — size or range
  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