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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: cell · lean · trunk · ruler · pop · date · temple · spring

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pop — music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spring — the season
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — thin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in biology
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — a phone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spring — of water

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