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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: rash · temple · cue · prune · kick · roll · staff · object

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. staff — a stick
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — to protest
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kick — in football
  11. cue — a signal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cue — a hint
  15. staff — employees
  16. roll — a list
  17. prune — to trim
  18. object — a thing
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. object — an aim
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. staff — employees
  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