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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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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: trunk · kid · temple · key · lash · prune · current · branch

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — a division
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. current — happening now
  15. kid — child
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. current — electric
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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