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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: mug · prune · racket · temple · squash · pound · trunk · lash

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mug — a cup
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mug — a face
  22. squash — to crush
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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