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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · chest · temple · object · scale · tear · charge · trunk

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — a price
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. object — an aim
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. object — a thing
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — to protest
  19. chest — a box
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chest — of your body
  24. charge — electricity

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