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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: temple · staff · last · rule · drill · foot · swing · prune

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rule — government
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — final
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. foot — a measure
  15. swing — to play on
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — music
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. staff — a stick

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