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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: temple · pound · net · chip · saw · tube · trunk · rest

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chip — to eat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tube — a container
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. net — in sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. net — for catching
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chip — for betting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — the underground

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