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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: object · bat · temple · prune · lie · leaves · spell · sharp

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spell — a short time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — magic
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — an aim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — clever

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