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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: present · trunk · temple · cue · swing · craft · stick · prune

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. swing — in golf
  3. craft — boats
  4. cue — a hint
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — for pool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. craft — a skill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. swing — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. temple — a place of worship

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