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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 120 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: hide · court · temple · prune · wake · board · fan · can

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of law
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. board — to get on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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