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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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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 · wound · stand · ball · pass · bat · mug · temple

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — to bear
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mug — a face
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ball — a great time
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — an injury

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