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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: file · foot · temple · shower · key · bound · trunk · hand

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — obliged
  5. key — in music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hand — help
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. file — a line of people
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — tied together
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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