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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: land · fall · prune · temple · trunk · bear · kick · safe

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — ground
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. land — to come down
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. safe — a strongbox

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