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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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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 · swing · ball · pound · row · temple · kid · plane

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pound — a weight
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. swing — music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. row — a line

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