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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: ball · trunk · bay · rash · temple · band · lean · pass

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a ring
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pass — a permit
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. band — a music group
  17. lean — thin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. trunk — of a tree

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