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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.

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: wave · sharp · press · bank · patient · mine · trunk · temple

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bank — for money
  19. press — to push
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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