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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.

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
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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: branch · hide · temple · cold · bay · fan · trunk · squash

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. squash — to crush
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cold — an illness
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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