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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: fine · trunk · bulb · stand · land · tube · coach · temple

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tube — a container
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — the underground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. land — to come down
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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