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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.

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 · staff · dip · press · field · bat · perch · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. staff — a stick
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. dip — to sink
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. press — to push
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — farmland
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. staff — employees
  19. bat — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. press — a publisher
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. press — newspapers

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