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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: straw · fan · charge · tear · ruler · rock · temple · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — a price
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — a stone
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — in control
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tear — to rip

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