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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mouse · bank · trunk · spring · sharp · content · pitch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bank — of a river
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. spring — a coil
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — completely
  22. sharp — clever
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. spring — the season

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