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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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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 · spell · lie · temple · toast · pit · trunk · court

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spell — a short time
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. court — of a king

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