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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: pass · trunk · prune · temple · lean · mark · fall · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pass — a permit
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — the season
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. band — a ring
  19. mark — a trace
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lean — thin
  24. pass — to succeed

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