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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.

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: track · prune · band · suit · kid · sharp · file · temple

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. track — a path
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kid — child
  8. suit — to fit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. file — a document
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kid — to tease
  14. suit — in cards
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. band — a music group
  21. sharp — clever
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. temple — side of the head

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