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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spring — of water
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division

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