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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · club · lie · track · present · mouse · saw · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lie — to recline
  20. present — the time now
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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