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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 · bulb · court · leaves · mate · shower · temple · can

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. shower — rain
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. can — to be able to
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. temple — a place of worship

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