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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: trunk · patient · pit · temple · firm · kid · cabinet · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — to tease
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mark — a trace
  12. firm — steady
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — in a race
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — decided
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kid — child
  20. firm — a company
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. patient — a sick person

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