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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: temple · rash · prune · vault · lie · bore · court · pass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. court — of law
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rash — hasty
  5. court — of a king
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — a series
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. court — for sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lie — to recline

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