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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: mate · lash · current · leaves · rule · prune · bark · temple

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bark — to shout
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mate — to breed
  16. current — happening now
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rule — a law
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. temple — a place of worship

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