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

Word bank: root · pass · arm · mark · temple · trunk · stick · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a grade
  6. game — a match
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mark — a trace
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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