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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: nail · bulb · temple · deal · lash · pit · land · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. land — a country
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — to come down
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. deal — a big deal

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