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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bound — certain
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. track — a song
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bound — tied together
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — a container
  16. mark — a grade
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. bound — obliged

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