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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.

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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
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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: bat · temple · trunk · sharp · track · rest · cold · charge

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — to keep track
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. track — a song
  10. charge — in control
  11. track — a path
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. sharp — clever
  14. charge — a price
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rest — a break
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cold — an illness
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rest — what's left

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