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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bound — obliged
  3. staff — a stick
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ball — a great time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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