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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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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: fan · net · temple · tear · hide · trunk · file · arm

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tear — from crying
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — from crying
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tear — to rip
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. file — a document
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. net — after costs
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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