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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: pop · kick · fall · file · object · temple · trunk · board

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. object — a thing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. file — a document
  9. fall — the season
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. file — a tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — an aim
  18. kick — in football
  19. object — to protest
  20. pop — soda
  21. file — a line of people
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kick — with a leg

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