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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — rain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. shower — to wash
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — in music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pit — in a race
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — to come down
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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