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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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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: safe · squash · prune · lash · trunk · toast · temple · wound

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. prune — to trim
  18. squash — to crush
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. toast — bread
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. prune — to trim

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