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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: row · temple · trunk · pit · leaves · kick · net · bulb

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kick — in football
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. row — a line
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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