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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: fan · trunk · bat · perch · temple · rule · board · dip

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — to sink
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. bat — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a committee
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. perch — the fish
  23. board — to get on
  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