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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: prune · toast · bowl · nail · charge · sharp · bank · temple

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. toast — bread
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. charge — a price
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bank — of a river
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. charge — in control
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. charge — electricity
  20. sharp — clever
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bank — for money

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