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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: kick · bat · prune · charge · temple · nail · cap · lie

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bat — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — in control
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lie — to recline
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — a lid
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. charge — a price

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