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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: clip · can · cue · prune · temple · key · drill · kid

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cue — a signal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — for a lock
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cue — for pool
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — for paper
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. can — to be able to
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — a hint

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