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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · temple · track · club · ball · trunk · clip · ruler

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rash — a series
  3. track — a song
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. club — a group
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a great time
  15. club — for golf
  16. clip — for paper
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. clip — a video
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a path
  21. rash — hasty
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ball — a dance
  24. track — to keep track

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