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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.

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: bank · trunk · stand · last · bulb · temple · pit · mine

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pit — in a race
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. last — to go on
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. last — finally
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. last — final

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