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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · temple · mouse · prune · present · rush · swing · toast

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. swing — to play on
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — the time now
  10. swing — in golf
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hand — help
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. toast — bread
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. swing — music
  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