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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: spring · wind · leaves · temple · nail · bank · trunk · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — the season
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spring — a coil
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. track — a song
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. track — a path
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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