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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: mug · foot · board · mate · prune · pound · temple · leaves

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. board — a committee
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mug — a cup
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mug — a face
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. foot — a measure
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — to get on
  24. mate — a partner

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