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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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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 · straw · temple · trunk · race · lie · firm · branch

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — a division
  4. race — the arms race
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. firm — decided
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. race — a contest
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. race — humankind
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lie — to recline
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. firm — a company

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