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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: game · sharp · fall · prune · rock · bowl · shower · temple

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. shower — to wash
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — the season
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — music
  16. shower — rain
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fall — to drop
  24. prune — to trim

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