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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: temple · foot · trunk · cell · date · suit · coach · stick

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — to fit
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. date — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. trunk — of a tree

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