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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: dip · trunk · court · press · kick · prune · cabinet · temple

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — for sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. press — to push
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. press — a publisher
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. court — of a king
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. court — of law
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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