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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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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fall — the season
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fall — to drop
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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