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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: object · lash · leaves · wind · temple · bore · prune · date

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — to drill
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bore — to tire
  13. object — to protest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. object — a thing
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. date — on the calendar

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