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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.

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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: bank · trunk · fall · drill · mug · last · temple · fork

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — final
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mug — to rob
  7. last — to go on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — the season
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. last — finally
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fall — to drop
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — army training
  22. mug — a face
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — a garden tool

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