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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · trunk · field · plane · kid · fan · temple · land

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — child
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. field — a subject
  12. plane — a tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — a measure
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. land — a country
  24. temple — side of the head

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