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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: prune · bank · rest · march · temple · wound · hide · bulb

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. march — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — of a river
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — to keep secret

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