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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. land — ground
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. kick — in football
  18. can — a tin

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