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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: trunk · bound · scale · temple · jam · perch · spell · cabinet

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. spell — magic
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — obliged
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. spell — a short time
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bound — tied together
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. scale — in music

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