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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 120 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: trunk · fan · face · dip · swing · temple · cap · bank

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — to confront
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cap — a hat
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. swing — in golf
  23. face — part of the head
  24. dip — to sink

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