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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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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: temple · degree · chip · trunk · staff · lie · swing · fine

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — in golf
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. swing — to play on
  12. degree — an amount
  13. chip — for betting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. degree — temperature
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fine — high quality

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