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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · track · temple · clip · band · hide · bore · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bore — to drill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — a video
  18. track — a song
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. band — a ring
  21. clip — for paper
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. clip — to cut

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