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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.

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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: stick · wound · file · season · temple · plane · fall · prune

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — a tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fall — the season
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. season — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. season — of the year
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fall — to drop

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