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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: mug · chip · rock · trunk · wind · temple · ground · band

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mug — to rob
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — for betting
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. ground — a position
  20. band — a music group
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ground — crushed

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