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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 · trunk · pass · sharp · clip · wake · spring · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pass — a permit
  12. clip — a video
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — the season
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. clip — to cut
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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