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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · capital · toast · spring · tube · wake · temple

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — of water
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. capital — a city
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spring — the season
  12. toast — bread
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spring — a coil
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. tube — a container
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — the most admired

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