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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: staff · rush · mate · pop · trunk · cap · ball · temple

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — a lid
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ball — a great time
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cap — of ice

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