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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
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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: hand · trunk · temple · pit · wave · firm · pop · row

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hand — help
  4. row — a line
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pop — soda
  10. firm — decided
  11. pit — in a race
  12. row — to paddle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pop — music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. firm — a company
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — steady
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wave — with your hand

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