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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · lie · temple · pound · fan · pop · prune · cabinet

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — hasty

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