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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
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: temple · rock · stand · bark · trunk · spell · toast · bowl

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rock — a stone
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spell — magic
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bark — to shout

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