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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: bound · prune · plane · ground · roll · temple · mate · lash

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. roll — a list
  11. mate — to breed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mate — a friend
  16. prune — to trim
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ground — crushed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. roll — a cake
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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