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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: tube · scale · temple · rest · trunk · last · leaves · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. scale — in music
  8. last — finally
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — size or range
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. last — final
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. rest — what's left
  23. last — to go on
  24. rest — a break

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