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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: temple · fine · trunk · chest · chip · ball · plane · pit

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — to eat
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fine — all right
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chest — a box
  15. ball — a dance
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chip — for betting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. plane — in geometry

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