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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: pop · drill · fan · trunk · temple · file · date · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pop — to visit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a line of people
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. date — the fruit
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. drill — army training
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. file — a document
  22. pop — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fan — a supporter

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