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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: key · rush · lie · degree · pit · trunk · board · sharp

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — a hole
  5. key — for a lock
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — clever
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — hurry
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rush — to hurry

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