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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: wind · wound · ball · pit · bank · prune · plane · temple

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pit — in a race
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a dance

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