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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: wind · temple · leaves · straw · stick · rush · prune · bore

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bore — to drill

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