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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a ring
  3. bore — to tire
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. suit — in cards
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bore — to drill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. band — a music group
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — completely
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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