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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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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 · wake · chest · ruler · tube · snap · can · trunk

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to click
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. chest — a box
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — a container

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