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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: temple · land · prune · lean · coach · mine · nail · club

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lean — thin
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to bend
  7. club — for golf
  8. land — to come down
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — a country
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — ground
  17. club — a group
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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