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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: dip · calf · cabinet · trunk · key · tear · roll · temple

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. roll — a list
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tear — to rip
  24. roll — on a roll

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