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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: toast · trunk · content · object · temple · perch · rush · bank

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bank — of a river
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rush — hurry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — happy
  14. bank — for money
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. object — a thing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. toast — bread
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. object — to protest

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