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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · trunk · safe · rash · stock · stand · field · cell

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. field — farmland
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. stock — shares
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — to bear
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — a subject
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — for sport
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rash — hasty
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stock — goods
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stock — a soup base

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