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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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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: lash · prune · stand · temple · mate · court · pound · stem

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. court — of a king
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. court — for sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mate — a friend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — of law
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. prune — the fruit

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