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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: straw · prune · spring · bark · deal · coach · bay · temple

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spring — of water
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bark — of a tree

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