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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 120 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: trunk · bulb · chip · foot · fall · mark · temple · lie

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lie — to recline
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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