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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: lie · temple · cell · trunk · club · scale · drill · tube

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cell — in biology
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — a container
  8. drill — army training
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — size or range
  12. club — a group
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. club — for golf

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