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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: prune · trunk · temple · court · hide · mate · roll · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — a cake
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. court — of a king
  12. mate — a partner
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. roll — a list
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. court — for sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  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