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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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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 · hand · net · scale · stand · prune · mouse · saw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. scale — size or range
  6. saw — the tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — after costs
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hand — help
  24. prune — the fruit

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