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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: rash · temple · mark · lean · prune · squash · shower · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — to bend
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rash — a series
  10. prune — to trim
  11. shower — rain
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rock — music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lean — thin

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