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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: march · trunk · bank · track · rush · temple · date · deal

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. march — the month
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. march — music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. march — the month
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — a song
  19. deal — to handle
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bank — of a river
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. track — a path

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