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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: club · arm · lie · hide · cabinet · temple · trunk · mark

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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