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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: rush · prune · kick · toast · firm · scale · pound · temple

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. firm — a company
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — in music
  17. firm — steady
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. toast — bread
  21. firm — decided
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. prune — to trim
  24. kick — a thrill

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