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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · march · temple · tube · mark · net · pass · lie

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — after costs
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — the underground
  8. march — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — for catching
  24. march — the month

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