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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · trunk · stand · rash · chair · craft · hand · band

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — help
  5. craft — boats
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hand — in cards
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rash — hasty
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. band — a music group
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. temple — side of the head

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