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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.

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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 · temple · snap · ruler · kid · straw · trunk · deal

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. snap — to click
  10. deal — to handle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. kid — to tease
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. temple — a place of worship

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