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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: temple · bat · trunk · wound · rule · scale · stick · pass

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rule — government
  15. bat — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. scale — for weighing
  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