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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: swing · fall · can · temple · season · land · staff · prune

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — of the year
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — the season
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. staff — a stick
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — in golf
  21. prune — to trim
  22. land — a country
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. can — to be able to

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