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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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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: prune · suit · dip · fork · board · temple · straw · kid

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. board — a committee
  7. suit — to fit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kid — to tease
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. suit — in cards
  15. board — to get on
  16. fork — in a road
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kid — child
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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