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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — in control
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — a tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — of a river
  24. temple — side of the head

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