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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · temple · lie · bore · foot · branch · bark · hide

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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