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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
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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: firm · court · shower · temple · cabinet · trunk · mouse · bark

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. firm — steady
  5. court — of law
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — rain
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — a company
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. firm — decided
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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