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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — for sport
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. toast — the most admired

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