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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: foot · mouse · last · temple · wound · prune · rush · bound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. last — finally
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. last — to go on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. last — final
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — hurry
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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