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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: shower · bear · temple · trunk · track · coach · deal · stand

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. track — a path
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. track — a song
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. track — to keep track
  24. deal — to handle

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