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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.

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: temple · pound · wake · bank · spring · prune · lash · pitcher

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spring — the season

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