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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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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: arm · lie · drill · file · fan · trunk · stock · temple

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stock — shares
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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