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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.

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: trunk · stand · calf · spring · coach · plane · temple · ball

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spring — the season

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