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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. shower — rain
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. game — wild animals
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — a match
  24. prune — to trim

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