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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
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: fan · temple · bowl · wound · leaves · row · trunk · safe

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. row — a line
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — an injury

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