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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.

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: dip · chest · temple · wound · band · key · trunk · mug

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — a face
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chest — a box
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — for a lock
  10. band — a music group
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. chest — of your body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mug — to rob
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. band — a ring
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mug — a cup
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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