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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: fan · mine · rule · bark · temple · trunk · can · pop

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rule — government
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. can — a tin
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pop — soda
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pop — to visit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. temple — a place of worship

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