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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: kick · hide · root · prune · pitch · snap · row · temple

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitch — completely
  5. root — the cause
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a line
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. row — to paddle
  14. root — of a word
  15. kick — in football
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to click
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. root — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

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