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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: temple · coach · wound · trunk · row · fall · craft · calf

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fall — the season
  20. craft — a skill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a line
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a car

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