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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: rock · cell · temple · bowl · trunk · stand · spring · mouse

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rock — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — of water
  23. bowl — a football final
  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