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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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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 · pit · stem · file · bore · pass · temple · mouse

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. file — a line of people
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a hole
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pit — in a race
  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