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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: wound · safe · lash · track · content · swing · temple · prune

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a path
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — happy
  14. swing — music
  15. track — a song
  16. wound — an injury
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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