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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · bore · temple · spring · nail · bowl · wind · prune

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spring — of water
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wind — moving air
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. fine — all right
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spring — the season
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — moving air

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