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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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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: prune · file · ground · temple · suit · jam · saw · mine

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. file — a tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. saw — the tool
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — a position
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a document
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. file — a line of people
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mine — for digging
  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