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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rest — a break
  3. pop — music
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — for sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — of a river
  20. craft — a skill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — for money
  24. trunk — of a car

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