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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
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: trunk · file · temple · tear · plane · bulb · squash · saw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. tear — from crying
  20. file — a document
  21. tear — to rip
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — a place of worship

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