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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: bank · trunk · bat · leaves · temple · mug · pit · arm

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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