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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: hide · root · pitch · tube · key · trunk · temple · prune

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tube — the underground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitch — completely
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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