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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: kick · temple · capital · bank · trunk · tube · wave · safe

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kick — in football
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — the underground
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — 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