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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: wound · fine · lie · field · face · bank · prune · temple

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. field — farmland
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — all right
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — for sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. face — to confront
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wound — an injury
  24. temple — side of the head

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