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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: net · prune · stick · temple · staff · arm · kick · bound

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. net — after costs
  6. prune — to trim
  7. staff — a stick
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. net — for catching
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — employees

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