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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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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: cell · trunk · tube · court · temple · squash · wave · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — for sport
  3. cell — a phone
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — to crush
  13. court — of law
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. court — of a king
  18. board — to get on
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cell — in biology
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — of the sea

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