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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: wound · safe · prune · temple · chip · bowl · arm · face

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. face — to point toward
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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