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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: stick · rush · dip · net · rash · temple · trunk · perch

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — after costs
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — hurry
  24. dip — to sink

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