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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: cap · dip · date · key · drill · fine · trunk · arm

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. drill — army training
  7. key — the most important part
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — the fruit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fine — all right
  22. cap — a lid
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cap — of ice

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