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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: arm · land · mouse · trunk · race · temple · bay · lie

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — humankind
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — ground
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. land — a country
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — a contest

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