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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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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: trunk · race · wound · craft · bowl · foot · temple · degree

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. race — a contest
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. craft — boats
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. race — humankind
  11. degree — from a university
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. degree — temperature
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. degree — an amount
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a skill

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