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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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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: rock · prune · temple · mug · hand · ground · face · trunk

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hand — in cards
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rock — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ground — crushed
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ground — a position
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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