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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.

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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: firm · snap · mouse · bear · arm · trunk · temple · object

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. snap — to click
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — an aim
  17. firm — decided
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. firm — a company
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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