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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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: ball · rock · temple · clip · prune · ruler · sharp · pit

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — in a race
  3. clip — to cut
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rock — a stone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. clip — a video
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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