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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: root · temple · prune · rule · net · file · hide · cue

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. net — in sport
  5. rule — a law
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. file — a tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. cue — a hint
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cue — for pool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — government
  15. net — after costs
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. file — a document
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cue — a signal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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