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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: tube · key · saw · pop · trunk · temple · bound · press

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — certain
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bound — tied together
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bound — obliged
  14. press — a publisher
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tube — a container
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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