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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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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 · lie · fine · root · date · temple · current · jam

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. root — the cause
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. current — of water
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — all right
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. current — electric
  18. root — of a word
  19. lie — to recline
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. root — of a plant

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