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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 120 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 · can · straw · sharp · deal · mouse · lean

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — thin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — to handle
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mouse — the animal

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