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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — for money
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — boats
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — of a river
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bark — of a tree

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