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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: board · temple · foot · rule · prune · leaves · ball · clip

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a great time
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rule — a law
  10. foot — a measure
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rule — government
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. clip — a video
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. clip — for paper
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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