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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: lie · temple · nail · perch · trunk · kid · rash · bore

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — to tire
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kid — child
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. perch — the fish
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rash — hasty
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — to tease

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