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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.

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: press · calf · temple · trunk · last · hide · rock · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — finally
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — final
  17. rock — music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. last — to go on
  20. press — a publisher
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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