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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: rush · mark · club · temple · prune · can · tear · craft

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — boats
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a grade
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — a skill
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tear — to rip
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — the fruit

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