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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 120 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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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: file · coach · pound · bore · temple · sharp · safe · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bore — to tire
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — a weight
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. file — a document
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bore — to drill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pound — for dogs

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