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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. root — the cause
  5. march — the month
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bound — certain
  9. root — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kick — in football
  16. root — of a word
  17. bound — obliged
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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