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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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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: scale · club · prune · chip · trunk · temple · wave · rash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — to eat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chip — for betting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — a group
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. scale — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. trunk — of a car

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