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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: bowl · key · trunk · roll · leaves · spring · tube · temple

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. spring — of water
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — a cake
  16. tube — the underground
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. key — the most important part
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — the season
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spring — a coil

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