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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: clip · swing · bear · nail · racket · bowl · temple · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. swing — music
  5. clip — a video
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. clip — for paper
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. clip — to cut
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bear — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bowl — a football final
  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