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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.

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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 · root · season · bore · straw · temple · deal · chip

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. season — in sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chip — to eat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — to handle
  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