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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 · cue · net · prune · toast · jam · lash · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — after costs
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cue — a hint
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. toast — bread
  19. key — in music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — for catching
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. key — the most important part
  24. jam — in traffic

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