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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: temple · file · stand · object · trunk · toast · bear · fine

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. object — an aim
  3. file — a document
  4. fine — high quality
  5. file — a tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. object — to protest
  18. toast — bread
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — a thing
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stand — for spectators

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