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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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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 · rash · lie · temple · bowl · calf · press · wind

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rash — hasty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — a series
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. press — to push
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — to recline

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