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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cold — not warm
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cold — an illness
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a partner
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. game — wild animals
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mate — to breed
  22. key — for a lock
  23. game — a match
  24. key — in music

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